Backstop for a ball glove

ABSTRACT

A BALL GLOVE BODY HAS A FLEXIBLE BACKSTOP ATTACHED TO AND EXTENDING BETWEEN ITS INDEX FINGER SECTION AND ITS THUMB SECTION. THE BACKSTOP POSSESSES A CONICAL OR CONCAVE SHAPE AND FORMS A CONTINUATION OF THE BALL-RECEIVING SIDE OF THE GLOVE BODY SO AS TO CREATE A DEEP-BALL-RECEIVING POCKET WITHIN THE GLOVE.

NOV. 30, 1971 LAT|NA BACKS'I'OP FOR A BALL GLOVE Filed Jan. 16, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 //V/ /Vw/?, 4 mm A. Mmm 55% f NOV- 1971 R N TlNA BACKS'I'OP FOR A BALL GLOVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 16, 1970 OOOOOgOOOO FIGS 4 N 5 0 M 74 0 mm w M W J oak/WW X fl United States Patent O 3,623,163 BACKSTOP FOR A BALL GLOVE Roland N. Latina, Belleville, Ill., assignor to A-T-O Inc., Willoughby, Ohio Filed Jan. 16, 1970, Ser. No. 3,297 Int. Cl. A41d 13/10 US. Cl. 2-19 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A ball glove body has a flexible backstop attached to and extending between its index finger section and its thumb section. The backstop possesses a conical or concave shape and forms a continuation of the ball-receiving side of the glove body so as to create a deep ball-receiving pocket within the glove.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates in general to ball gloves, and more particularly to backstops for ball gloves.

In many fielders gloves of current manufacture the finger sections extend considerably beyond the ends of the fielders fingers, and likewise the thumb section extends considerably beyond the end of the fielders thumb. Indeed, the fielders fingers for the most part are presented behind the palm portion of the glove body, that is, directly behind the pocket area of the gloove where baseballs are most often caught. The foregoing construction coupled with the natural divergence of the fielders thumb and index finger require a relatively wide and long backstop between the thumb section and the first finger section of the glove body. This backstop forms a continuation of the pocket in the glove body and thereby prevents balls from passing between the thumb and finger sections of the glove.

In gloves of current manufacture the backstop normally is a flat piece of webbing laced or otherwise secured to the opposed edges of the thumb section and the index finger section. By reason of this flat construction, hard hit balls which strike the glove pocket obliquely or off center have a tendency to pass along the backstop and slip out of the pocket. Furthermore, the relatively flat web detracts from the flexibility of the glove, making control of the glove difiicult, particularly when it is new and not yet broken-in.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a ball glove with a backstop having superior ball retention capabilities. Another object is to provide a backstop which is concave or pocket-shaped to retain balls more securely. A further object is to provide a backstop which is quite flexible and enables the user to maintain a high degree of control over the glove. Still another object is to provide a backstop which creates a deep pocket in the glove, yet affords easy retrieval of balls caught in the glove. Yet another object is to provide a backstop which is simple in construction and easy to manufacture. These and other objects and advantages will become apparent hereinafter.

The present invention is embodied in a ball glove having a flexible concave backstop extending between its first finger section and its thumb section. The invention also consists in the parts and in the arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings which form part of the specification and wherein like numerals and letters refer to like parts wherever they occur:

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FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the front face of a ball glove provided with a backstop constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the back face of the glove;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the backstop;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a flat plan view of the facing ply for the backstop before that ply is developed into a concave configuration;

FIG. 6 is a front [view of a modified backstop; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now in detail to the drawings, 2 designates a ball glove including a glove body 4 (FIGS. 1 and 2) having an outer shell 6 provided with finger sections 8, 10, 12 and 14 and a thumb section 16-, all of which emanate from a palm area 18 on the outer shell 6. One margin of the palm area 18 terminates at a heel 20, while an opposite margin defines a crotch 22 located between the first or index finger section 8 and the thumb section 16.

The glove body 4 also includes an inner or lining shell (not shown) having finger stalls and a thumb stall for receiving the users fingers and thumb, respectively. The finger stalls are positioned such that the users fingers will be spread generally behind the palm area 18 of the glove body 4 with the tips of the fingers being in the vicinity of the inner ends of the finger sections 8, 10, 12 and 14. Similarly, the thumb stall positions the end of the users thumb in alignment with and near the beginning of the thumb section 16. Thus, the finger sections 8, 10, 12 and 14, and the thumb section 16 form extensions of the users fingers and thumb, respectively.

The space between the first or index finger section 8 and the thumb section'1-6 is closed by a backstop 30 which is secured to the finger section 8 and the thumb section 16 as well as to the intervening crotch 22 of the glove body 4 by means of a leather or other suitable lacing 32. The backstop 30 is preshaped to a concave or pocket-like configuration and together with the adjoining palm area 18 of the glove body 4 forms a deep ball-receiving pocket 34 (FIG. 1) within the glove 2.

The backstop 30 is of multiply construction (FIG. 4) and includes 21 facing ply 36 and a backing ply 38, both of which have generally the same configuration. That configuration (FIG. 3) is defined by arcuate or shaped inner margins 39 which conform generally to the shape of the crotch 22 on the glove body 4 and merge into generally straight side margins 40 toward the outer end of the backstop 30. The side margins 40, in turn, are connected by a straight outer margin 41. Slightly inwardly from their arcuate margins 39 the two plies 36 and 38 are attached together by a run of stitching 42 which continues around the two plies 36 and 38. The outer ends of the two plies 36 and 38 are related by directing the longer outer edge portion of the facing ply 36 in a loop (FIG. 4) over the backing ply 38 and securing it to the backing ply 36 (FIG. 3) by a straight double run of stitching 43 so that the looped portion forms a tunnel 44 along the outer margin 41 of the backstop 30. The tunnel 44 extends from the outer end of the thumb section 16 to the outer end of the first finger section 8 and encloses a lacing 46 (FIGS. 1 and 2) which passes through and is attached to the ends of the finger and thumb sections 8 and 16 for preventing them from spreading apart a distance greater than the width of the backstop 30. Actually, the lacing 46 doubles back upon itself and on its return pass it is looped through a succession of tranversely spaced apertures 48 and over the outer overturned portion of the facing ply 36 to form an enlarged spirally wound segment 50 of lacing 46 at the outer margin 41 of the backstop 30.

Both the plies 36 and 38 at the approximate center of curvature for the arcuate lower margins 39 and the run of stitching 42 are provided with marginally registered apertures for forming a center hole or aperture 54 in the backstop 30.

Each ply 36 and 38 is cut fom flexible sheet material such as leather, and to develop the concave shape, a wedgeshaped segment (FIG. is removed from each ply 36 and 38 between its center hole 54 and its arcuate, inner margin 39, the small end of each wedge being, of course, at the center hole 54 and the large end at the arcuate margin 39. Thus, when the plies 36 and 38 lie flat and are detached from one another, the margins left by the removal of the wedge-shaped sections are spread apart and diverge from the center apertures 54 (FIG. 5). The concave shape is developed by bringing those margins together to form an abutment or joint 56 (FIG. 3) in the plies 36 and 38, and the concave shape is retained by a connecting ply 58 (FIG. 3) fitted between the plies 36 and 38 and extending across the joint 56. The connecting ply 58 is caught in the run of stitching 42. Aside from the outer run of stitching 42 and the straight run 43,, the plies 36 and 38 are also attached to one another by an inner run of stitching 60 which circumscribes the center aperture 54, and a plurality of radial stitching runs 62. The radial runs of stitching 62 in the vicinity of the joint 56 hold the connecting ply 58 in place between the facing ply 36 and the backing ply 38 and thus prevent the plies 36 and 38 from losing their desired concave shape.

Finally, the facing ply 36 at equally spaced intervals along its outer margins 39 and 42 is provided with integrally formed tabs (FIG. 5) which project outwardly and are doubled back upon themselves to form attaching loops 64 (FIG. 3). The ends of the tabs forming the loops 64 are fitted between the facing ply 36 and the backing ply 38 and are secured in that position by the outer run of the stitching 42.

The lacing 32 for connecting the backstop 30 to the glove body 4 is threaded alternately through the attaching loops 64 and the portion of the glove body 4 forming the thumb section 16, the crotch margin 22 and the first finger section 8. In particular, the loops 64 are normally fastened against the back side of outer shell 6 slightly outwardly from the continuous inner margin formed along the foregoing portions of the glove body 4. Beyond the finger section 8 the binding 32 continues through the finger sections 18, 12 and 14 to prevent them from spreading relative to one another also.

The backstop 30, a pocket in itself, forms a pocket-like continuation of the palm area 18 of the glove body 4 and, consequently, the pocket 34 within the glove 2 is considerably deeper and more pronounced than the pocket formed by a mere flat web across the thumb and finger sections of a glove as is the case with conventional gloves. Thus, any ball which enters the pocket 34 goes deep into the glove 2 where it is easily retained, yet easily retrieved also. Moreover, should any ball enter the glove obliquely from the area of the heel 20, it will not pass on through the pocket 34 and across the backtop 30, but on the contrary, it will be entrapped in the portion of the pocket 34 created by the concavity of the backstop 30. Also, balls which strike the glove 2 near the outer margin 41 of the backstop 30, will more likely be deflected toward the deep center of the backstop 30 or into the crotch 22 than outwardly across the outer margin 41 as is generally true of gloves provided with conventional flat backstops.

The center hole 54 prevents gathering of the plies 36 and 38 as they are shaped into a concave or conical configuration and, furthermore, enables the glove body 4 to retain a significant amount of flexibility. Thus, the fielder has excellent control over the glove 4.

Referring now to FIGS; 6 and 7, it is possible to provide the glove 2 with a modified backstop 70 which is very similar to the backstop 30, but it may be formed from a single sheet of leather instead of individual facing and backing plies 36 and 38. The single sheet of leather forming the backstop 70 is doubled back upon itself at the outer edge of the backstop 70, thereby forming a facing ply 72 and a backing ply 74, each having registered side margins 76 and shaped inner margins 78. Inwardly, from the doubled back outer edge, the two plies 72 and 74 are connected by a double run of stitching 80 to provide a tunnel 81 across the outer end of the backstop 70.

Like the plies 36 and 38 of the backstop 30, the plies 72 and 74 of the backstop 70 are provided with registered apertures to form a center hole 82 and extending from the center hole 82 to the peripheral margins 78 of each ply 72 and 74 are joints 84 which are created by the removal of a wedge-shaped section from each of these plies. This enables the plies 72 and 74 to be drawn inwardly to assume a concave or conical configuration (FIG. 7) without any gathering of the leather when the margins forming the joints 84 are brought together. The joints 84 of each ply 72 and 74, however, are oifset circumferentially with respect to one another (FIG. 6). To retain the concave configuration, the plies 72 and 74 are attached to one another along concentric runs of stitching 86, the innermost of which is located slightly outwardly from the margins of the center hole 82 while a portion of the latter is presented adjacent to the arcuate inner margins 78.

Finally, the facing ply 72 has tabs projecting from its margins 76 and 78 and these tabs are doubled back upon themselves and their ends caught in the outermost concentric run of stitching 86 to form attaching loops 80 (FIG. 6). The tabs may be on either ply, however.

The backstop 70, like the backstop 30 is connected to the glove body 4 by passing lacings through its attaching loops 88 and its tunnel 81. When so installed, the backstop 70 forms a continuation of the palm area 18 and creates a deep pocket within the glove 2. It possesses the same advantages as the backstop 30.

This invention is intended to include all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a ball glove including a glove body having a ballreceiving pocket and spaced apart thumb and finger sections, a backstop forming a continuation of the ballreceiving pocket of the glove body and attached to the spaced thumb and finger sections for substantially closing the space between said sections, the backstop being formed from at least one ply of a flexible material and having a generally concave shape developed by removing at least one wedge-shaped section from said flexible ply, and connecting the margins of said ply after removal of said wedge-shaped section by securing means to form a joint in said ply, said concave shape in said backstop forming a continuation of the ball-receiving pocket of the glove body.

2. The structure according to claim 1 wherein the ply has a generally centrally disposed aperture to prevent gathering of the flexible material as the ply is developed into the concave shape; and wherein the joint extends outwardly from the hole to the peripheral margin of the backstop.

3. The structure according to claim 2 wherein the securing means comprises a connecting ply extending across the joint and being attached to the ply to prevent the margins left by the removal of the wedge-shaped section from separating.

4. The structure according to claim 2 wherein the opposed edges of the finger and thumb sections of the glove body are generally straight and are connected through a crotch in the glove body; and wherein the backstop has side margins which are attached to the finger and thumb sections of the glove body, a shaped inner margin which merges into the side margin at its ends and is attached to the crotch of the glove body, and an outer margin which extends across the opposite ends of the side margins and is located generally at the outer ends of the finger and thumb sections.

5. The structure according to claim 4 wherein a flexible lacing material extends through the backstop adjacent to its outer margin and is connected to the ends of the finger and thumb sections.

6. The structure according to claim 4 wherein the lbackstop further comprises another ply of flexible material having substantially the same shape as and being disposed behind the first ply; and wherein the plies are attached together by stitching, the stitching in part comprising the securing means for maintaining the joints in the plies.

7. The structure according to claim 6 wherein loops extend from the side and shaped margins of the backstop; and wherein flexible lacing material extends alternately through the loops and the finger sections, crotch, and thumb section of the glove body for attaching the backstop to the glove body.

8. The structure according to claim 7 wherein the loops comprise tab-like portions of flexible material which extend outwardly from one of the plies and are doubled back upon themselves, the ends of the tab-like portions being interposed between the two plies and caught in the stitching to form loops at the peripheral margin of the backstop.

9. The structure according to claim 6 wherein each of the plies have joints which are ofiset relative to each other.

10. The structure according to claim 6 wherein each of the plies have joints which are located in registration; and wherein the securing means for maintaining the joints further comprises a connecting ply extending across the joints and captured in the stitching.

11. The structure according to claim 6 wherein one of the plies is doubled back upon itself at the outer margin of the backstop and is attached to the other ply inwardly from the outer margin so as to form a tunnel through the backstop; and wherein the flexible lacing material extends through the tunnel and is connected to the ends of the finger and thumb sections of the glove body.

12. The structure according to claim 6 wherein the two plies are integrally connected at the outer margin of the backstop and are connected together by a run of stitching located inwardly from the outer margin so as to form a tunnel through the backstop; and wherein a flexible lacing material extends through the tunnel and is connected to the ends of the finger and thumb sections of the glove body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,475,262 7/ 1949 Sonnett et al. 2-19 3,042,929 7/ 1962 Kobos 2l9 3,321,771 5/1967 Latina 2--19 3,528,107 9/1970 Rosenbaum 2l9 JAMES R. BOLER, Primary Examiner 

